A Long Lonely Road

by Tj Reeder

  Right about now I was thanking a sweet lady in Texas who was one of the most prepared and smartest people I know. She not only knows all about whistles and bells she also has them.

  Before I headed off on this trip she had loaned me or insisted I take one of her neat toys, it was a night vision device that while not for use on a weapon could for sure help one control the night.

  In truth I had forgotten about it until now. hard to believe but there it is. I dug it out and powered it up and headed up the ladder to the

  crows nest where I found the other lad hunkered down looking over the wall.

  I asked where and he pointed toward the road . I put the sight to my eye and turned the night to green day and sure enough there was a group of green blobs easing down the road towards the log pile.

  As soon as they got there they all hunkered down behind the logs making it pretty clear their idea was to wait till morning and ambush the men and anybody else when they came out to do chores.

  There was a slight sound and Bill eased up beside me, I handed him the sight and pointed he raised it up and looked thru it and then looked at me.

  I could see his teeth in the dark.

  He whispered in my ear that he wanted to leave the sight with the boy and he and I would ease back down the ladder for a brainstorming session.

  After we were down we went to the other side of the barn behind some bales of hay and talked it over. And we came up with a plan that just might work.

  Bob joined us and we told him what was going on and he agreed to the plan. Which consisted of one of them and myself heading away from the back of the house a ways and then flank them.

  We would check their vehicles and see if they had left a guard behind. If so I’d take him out with the Ruger with the can. We did talk about that a bit since we really had no idea just what these folks wanted but it was real clear it wasn’t a friendly visit.

  We decided to wait until about an hour before the first bit of the coming dawn when they would all be tired. We could prepare and rest up.

  At full day light the brother who stayed behind would call out to these people asking what they wanted. I figured we’d get the drift real fast.

  It was decided Bill would be the one to go with me and I suggested he take the Savage 223 I had traded them and I had my 308. From 300 yards away these guys were in a hurt.

  I did sleep , surprisingly and woke up at 0400, I dug out a set of cammies and my soft soled boots. I was dressed when Bill came back dressed almost just like me, we smiled at each other and set to getting geared up.

  I took the night sight back from the JR. up in the crows nest since we would need it. Also telling him to get down out of there as it wasn’t bullet proof. I was amazed that thru all this there hadn’t been a sound .

  Then I had a thought and asked Bill why this was the first ranch I ever saw that had no dogs. He looked grim when he said their 3 cow dogs all disappeared one night a week earlier.

  Now it seemed pretty clear why. Some body had been stalking this place for a while and I had a feeling when their spotter saw the load in the old truck they decided now was the time.

  Well we would see about that very soon. Bill lead the way out a side door and past the house, all the time out of sight of the log pile. We walked about 300 yards away from the barn and then swung out and around the barn.

  I was using the sight every few yards which was playing havoc with my right eye so I stopped using it for the moment.

  After about a week of slow going we came to the road where I once again used the night viz to check out their ride.

  It was an older looking truck and sure enough there was somebody sitting in the cab. We moved across the road and turned to ease up within a few yards of the truck.

  I could smell something and it took a moment to realize the dumb shit was smoking a joint! I nudged Bill and he tapped me back he could smell it too he leaned over and whispered in my ear. Dope Kills!

  Now I almost laughed out loud but was able to stop it. We lowered down to a prone position and I looked under the truck and there they were all laid out all comfy behind the logs.

  I really owe that lady a lot when I get back to Texas! I had a feeling she had saved my life with the loan of this very expensive toy! And I had teased her a lot over some of her gear. That Crow was gonna be really hard to eat when I had to tell her about this little bump in the road home. I can hear her laughing right now!

  Time passed, the earth turned, the sun started rising and hell seemed to be about to come to this peaceful place. I could see Bills face now and we both looked thru our rifle scopes and while we couldn’t see them clearly we could see their dark blobs against the lighter logs.

  The pot smoker was at it again and I figured he wasn’t going to be a problem at all but I wasn’t prepared to find out. First shot and he was history.

  At last it was light enough to see them, there was 4 of them behind the logs and of course the Cannabis Kid in the truck.

  At last Bob’s voice was heard hollering out that he knew they were there and they should leave since they sure as hell weren’t gonna get what they were after.

  One of the assholes shouted back that they wanted fuel and food and if it was given freely they would leave peacefully. If not they would take everything including the women.

  Bob waited a bit like he was thinking about it and then said. well I doubt you can take us and I doubt you could be much of a threat to the ladies because they are used to real men !!!

  That did it, Pandora’s box flew open and she was loose! They opened fire and the dipshit in the truck bailed out fumbling for a rifle.

  I handed the Ruger to Bill who nodded his thanks and one pop and the stoner was on the ground.

  Bill hit him again and then laid the 22 on the ground .

  We eased forward until we were half under the truck each behind a tire and wheel. Looking thru the scope I swear I was looking at the twins of the three I dumped back at the camp ground. In my scope cranked up to 12 power I could see the jail house art from here.

  Bill spoke low and said ok, you take the left side and I’ll start on the right, meet in the middle. I asked him what if some wanted to surrender. He just shook his head no.

  On his count of three we both fired. They were shooting so much they never knew two were down, the next two went just as easy. And it was done.

  We waited a while to see if anybody twitched but it was a waste of time. They rolled the dice and they paid the piper. Nuff said.

  We stood up and waved at the house and Bob waved back and headed out to the log pile. I whistled at his and when he looked I made the fist sign for “STOP”.

  He moved over behind some cover and Bill and I walked up on the bodies. When we were maybe 10 feet away one flipped over and raised a pistol but that’s all he got done. we both hit him before he was a threat.

  Bob came out and looked at the pistol laying there by the mans hand and asked how I knew. I said I didn’t know but asked if he would walk up on a “dead” Grizzly? He said point made!

  We started the nasty task of searching them and piling anything useful to the side. Mostly it was just their weapons and ammo.

  The pistol was a 1911 Colt 45 and I smiled at the them and said well now ya got a 45 and I can lighten the load some more.

  They just laughed and went to searching the pistol man, which turned up 3 more magazines. The holster and gun were not what you’d expect to find on a scum bag like this and I figured it was stolen from some other poor bastard these scum came up on.

  Bill and I walked back to the truck on the road and looked in it finding some cases of canned foods and beer and boxes of candy bars and just about like they had hit a convenience store.

  We left the doper where he laid after getting his weapon. Then we drove to the logs and unloaded the goodies from the back and reloaded the trash then with Bill driving we headed off down the road to a junction.

  We stacked them in a pile and Bill took some plyw
ood and spray painted

  “ Raiders’ and set it against them.

  After that it was just clean up the mess, shoveling dirt over the blood and having a shot of JW even the two older boys had a drink, both looked a bit green but both had stood up well.

  Surprising nobody Bills wife walked out and beat the hell out of the dinner gong! I guess it was her way of coping. We went in after washing real good and sat down to a big breakfast.

  The women both sat there a moment then Bills wife took the bottle and took a small drink and passed to Bob’s wife. Then with no conversation we ate everything on the table.

  By now the day was wasting away and the men both thought I should wait till morning and I agreed. I could feel the stress building real fast.

  I had lived all my life pretty peacefully and while I had used my weapons while in the Marines and once as a cop the idea of shooting 5 men in less then what? 2 weeks? Three?..

  So I decided that Texas was still gonna be there and I need to decompress and where safer and with better folks then here? I spent the rest of the day packing and unpacking the mules.

  By days end I could almost do it in my sleep, I loaded them and got up on the Buckskin Mule and rode out a mile or so and made a circle and back to unload and do it all over again.

  Bob told me that after a few days on the trail the pack mules would just follow the Buckskin without lead ropes, I looked at him like he was from another planet but Bob assured me this was so. They had raised these mules and trained them.

  He also said if something spooked them it was best to not be tied to them but let them go and wait, they would come back to Buck. Nice!! I loved this part.

  We spent the next three days doing this every day until it was just part of my muscle memory’s, speaking of which my ass was dragging every night and I was sleeping like a baby.

  I also could tell I had lost weight even with the huge meals I was eating. But the day came that I knew I had to go. It was hard because these folks had become family, we had shared battle and bread. And JW!!

  Which reminded me on the morning I was leaving I handed 3 more bottles to the brothers and watched them both smile and tear up at the same time. With hugs from the women and hand shakes from the youngsters and Both from Bob and Bill I climbed aboard Buck.

  Bill was going to ride with me a ways and show me the pass I needed to go thru. He also had given me the Idaho Atlas and I gave him the Montana one I had. One of the tools I had taken from my truck was a set of fencing pliers, the handiest tools you could find in ranch country since barb wire had won the West.

  Finely it was time to part company with this man who had become almost family and we had exchanged all the information we could.

  I promised him that when things calmed down and vehicles were running again I’d come back to check on them. And that was a promise I intended to keep. One last hand shake and we rode away from each other. Neither of us turning to look back.

  In all this time Molly had just lazed around the barn and now was wondering where the truck seat was, why was she having to walk?

  Life’s rough in the new world, Suck it up buttercup!

  I had taken both an Idaho and a US atlas from Bill and planned to use them a great deal. My plan such as it was. Was to simply head South and East and avoid any larger cities and towns.

  I figure a small farm and ranch community might be more likely to pull together and form safe refuge for the area folks. And I sure hope I’m right.

  I didn’t plan to be seen if at all possible until I wanted to be seen. I had already seen more then enough of the way things were shaping up. And frankly I was tired of having to kill people. Even really bad people who

  needed killing.

  I hoped to make at least 20 miles a day if at all possible but have no idea what I will actually do. This trip was uncharted territory for me. So I will just ride from can see to can’t see and when I get there I’ll be there.

  It’s easy to have this attitude because there is no choice. Yes I could have kept the old Chevy and filled every thing that would hold gas and made better time.

  Like maybe right into a roadblock or an ambush which besides ruining my entire day would most likely ruin my chances of making it home. Meaning we do it my way.

  It’s funny when I think about anything it’s “WE” meaning Molly and me. I guess now it’s Molly, Buck and me. OH and the red mules.. Damn, we have a family!

  After crossing thru the pass Bill showed me on the map he said to just follow the Southern slope as I’d be in open country which made riding easier as long as nobody saw me.

  And not being seen was high on my list until I needed supplies which I hoped wouldn’t be for another 2 weeks. Time would tell and I planned to be looking for supper on the hoof so to speak. Meaning rabbits and such were fair game

  I won’t shoot a deer until I have to because I will have to dry most of it and that will use up a couple of days. Which from the way my ass feels might be very welcome.

  It was beautiful country I was riding thru and I wished I had somebody to share it with besides Molly but she was it and better then being alone.

  Late in the afternoon we came up on a creek that had to be spring fed it was so small but the water was icy cold and it was a welcome place to stop. The day had drifted by with me just letting my mind drift.

  But I was tired as hell and my butt was killing me so here we were staying. Besides it wasn’t long until dark and I needed to extra time to do the unpacking and getting the Mules settled down for the night.

  Our pace had been slow and steady and Mules are great foragers so they had chomped every bush or clump we passed.

  After unpacking them and watering them I tied them to the rope line I ran between two trees and brushed them down looking for rub marks on their backs and checked their feet.

  These were some wonderful animals and well trained and gentle. So unlike the tales you hear about them. I put a small bait of grain in their nose bags and started on my camp chores.

  I was so tired I was tempted to just crawl into my bed roll but that wouldn’t cut it so I as the saying goes Cowboy’d up and built a small fire to heat some canned beans and tossed in some of the sausage jerky which I was surprised to see was still holding it’s on.

  I really wanted some coffee but had to think about it but decided if I made some tonight and saved part of it I could heat it while getting ready for the day! Good idea!! Amazing how you can find an excuse to justify what you wanna do !

  My bed roll was laid out with a ground cloth under and over it, the fire was dying down and so was I. But I needed to watch the stars a bit because it amazed me that some folks refused to even think there had to be other life out there because their holy book didn’t say so

  It also never mentioned the Dinosaurs but we know they were here before us. I never understood narrow minded people. God made it all, the heavens and the earth and us. Why would he stop there?.

  These thoughts were so deep I never finished them I guess because the sun is up! And the Mules are stomping around wanting water. Damn ! I looked at my wrist at the band of white skin and just laughed out loud!

  First things first, Fire, heat coffee, water mules and tie them out to graze a bit. Then I fixed breakfast for Molly and me. I had a can of potatoes and chopped them up in the skillet and crumbled sausage jerky over them.

  After it was hot I added a small can of diced tomatoes with some kind of peppers in it.

  Toss in a couple of Biscuits’ from the ladies back at the ranch and I had a feast for us.

  I didn’t share the cup of coffee with Molly. I’m so bad.

  After cleaning up the dishes and putting out the fire I repacked the panniers and brought the mules in one at a time, brushed them and loaded them.

  When Buck was saddled and camp cleaned, trash buried and another drink for all of us we were off day two in this phase our great adventure.

  I kept an eye on Molly because she wasn’t a pup anymore but s
he seemed to be moving better then usual, maybe fresh air and exercise was good for her too.

  According to my map we would be crossing some roads today, no big ones just county roads and such but every road was possibly a trouble spot and would need watching.

  Around midday we did hit a forest service road that was going in our direction so I took it. Easier on the mules and we would make some time since it winded down the mountain taking the easy route.

  We crossed several streams where the animals could water and rest a bit. So far so good! It was hard to believe the world had ended or at least in a sense. Because it was a beautiful day and was just so peaceful up here in the high country.